Your Tea Plant Has Grown
Your Harvest Is Ready
What Is Next For Your Tea Plant In The Harvesting Process
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You have been patient and lovingly 
cared for your tea plant. and now the day has come. There are three tiny precious young leaves to be picked! The ideal time to pick tea is spring. This is when you will find the sweetest and fattest buds at the top of the plants.
What to do next? Now we take time to process the leaves.
To make Organic Green Tea
- Pinch off the sweet young buds and leaves off the tea plant
- Gently pat them dry, you do not want to bruise them!
- Place them on cheesecloth to set in the shade for about 8 hours.
- Now take the tea leaves and buds and place them on a covered rack over hot boiling water to steam them. This should take about 1-2 minutes.
- To dry the tea leaves, place them on a baking sheet and place in an oven at 200 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes.
- Place the dried tea leaves in an air tight container for future use.
- Want to get creative and try different oxidation processes for different flavors, try placing the leaves in a dry large skillet for 2-3 minutes or place on a rack over an outdoor grill with different smoked woods!
Now you have created your own loose leaf green tea!
To make Organic Oolong Tea
Pinch of the tender sweet young buds and leaves off the tea plant.
Spread them out on a single layer on a towel. Place under the direct sun for 1 hour. Allow the leaves and buds to wilt.
The leaves will be warm, so bring them inside to get to room temperature.
Place them in a bowl and let them sit for a few hours. Take time to shake up the bowl about every hour over the next 4 to 6 hours. You will notice that the leaves will change to a beautiful red color as they dry.
To dry the tea leaves, place them on a baking sheet and place in an oven at 200 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes.
Place the dried tea leaves in an air tight container for future use.
To make Organic Black Tea 
- Pinch the tender sweet young buds and leaves off the tea plant.
- This time, take the leaves and buds between your hands. Roll them and crush and bruise them until the leaves darken. They will turn a shade of red.
- Place them on a towel, in a cool location and forget about them for 2-4 days.
- To dry the tea leaves, place them on a baking sheet and place in an oven at 200 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes.
- Place the dried tea leaves in an air tight container for future use.
To make Organic White Tea
- Pinch of the tender sweet young buds and leaves off the tea plant.
- Take the outside leaf off and remove the bud for the rest of the process.
- Spread them out on a single layer on a towel. Place under the direct sun for about 3 days. You can bring them indoors in a well ventilated area bright room for 3 days of that is easier for you.
- To dry the tea leaves, place them on a baking sheet and place in an oven at 170 to 200 degrees for 1 hour.
- Place the dried tea leaves in an air tight container for future use.
- You can allow the leaves to dry naturally over a few more days for a different flavor experience.
- It must be noted that white tea harvested in the fall is said to be the best. Summer harvest for white tea is to be of lower quality.
So now that you have successfully and patiently, I might add, nurtured, harvested and processed your tea, now is to time to get creative! Explore the different types of tea and add some fresh herbs to blend your own organic herbal teas! There is nothing more refreshing than ice tea with mint on a hot summer day! Then, again, there is nothing more soothing than chamomile tea on a cold winter’s day. Now that you have explored the tea plant, next you will want to explore how to make organic herbal teas.
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